Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS)

About this award

Ontario's flagship graduate merit scholarship — $15,000/year for master's and doctoral students at participating Ontario universities. Open to Canadian citizens, permanent residents, AND international students (separate institution-level quotas). Stackable with federal Tri-Agency awards.

The Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) is the Government of Ontario's flagship merit-based graduate scholarship programme, jointly funded by the province and participating Ontario universities. The standard award value is $15,000 for two academic terms (8 months) of study, paid in equal instalments, with the provincial contribution matched by the host institution. OGS is open to graduate students at participating Ontario universities — typically including the U15 institutions (UofT, McMaster, Western, Queen's, Waterloo, Ottawa) and the broader Ontario university system. Critically, unlike the federal Tri-Agency awards, OGS is open to international students at most institutions, though each university administers its own quota of OGS slots split between Canadian/PR and international applicants. OGS is stackable with federal Tri-Agency awards in many cases — a student can hold a CGRS-M and an OGS in the same year if the institution permits — but holding rules vary by institution and by the level of the federal award, so check with your Faculty of Graduate Studies. Both master's and doctoral students qualify. The competition is institution-administered: each university's School or Faculty of Graduate Studies runs the internal application + ranking + selection process, then submits final allocations to the province.

Can you get it?

• ✓ Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident or International — citizenship requirement
• ✓ Graduate — study level
• ✓ Resident of ON — provincial eligibility

How to apply

1. 1

   Review eligibility and gather your documents~1 hour

   Read the official award page end-to-end. Confirm you meet every requirement before you start.

2. 2

   Request your official transcript1–2 weeks

   Order through your school registrar: allow 1–2 weeks.

3. 3

   Collect reference letters2 weeks

   Give your referees at least two weeks' notice and share your résumé.

4. 4

   Draft and revise your essays~10 hours

   Use the STAR framework. Be specific, show impact, proofread twice.

5. 5

   Submit before the posted deadline~1 hour

   Check the official source for the current deadline: save a copy and submit at least 24 hours early.

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